When did you start to notice the “Barbie” marketing was resonating in a big way?

president of global marketing Josh Goldstine spoke to Variety about the buzzy memes, must-have costumes and “Barbenheimer” phenomenon that led to this summer’s very pink smash hit. In wake of its record-breaking debut, Warner Bros.

It’s an especially big deal at a time when Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford have struggled to save the box office. With the help of “Oppenheimer,” which debuted to $80.5 million, this weekend boasted the biggest collective box office turnout of the pandemic era, as well as the fourth-biggest in history. “Barbie,” starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as life-size versions of the popular Mattel dolls, crushed box office expectations with $165 million in North America and a stunning $337 million globally.

The efforts of the extensive and expensive marketing campaign - which rival studio executives estimate to cost $150 million, not including the $145 million production budget - are already paying off.

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